The National Rifle Association attacked the White House earlier this month after NRA officials met with Vice President Biden and his gun violence task force. It its official response the NRA called the meeting “dissapointing” and said the Biden-led meeting “spent most of its time on proposed restrictions on lawful firearms owners – honest, taxpaying, hardworking Americans.”
NRA President David Keene said the White House was just “checking a box” when it hosted the NRA and other gun rights groups as part of the larger discussion about gun violence.
But on the day the White House debuts a package including proposed funding for more armed guards in school — the NRA’s main response to the Newtown shooting — a senior White House official pushed back on the NRA’s claim the White House wasn’t serious it its discussion with the gun rights group.
“The taskforce met with a variety of gun rights organizations. We had a constructive discussion. It bore little relation to the press release that [the NRA] put out afterwards,” the official said. Moving forward, “we’re going to work with people across the spectrum, members of both parties,” the offiical added.
